US20240011397A1 - Airfoil with flexible trailing edge - Google Patents
Airfoil with flexible trailing edge Download PDFInfo
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- US20240011397A1 US20240011397A1 US18/347,776 US202318347776A US2024011397A1 US 20240011397 A1 US20240011397 A1 US 20240011397A1 US 202318347776 A US202318347776 A US 202318347776A US 2024011397 A1 US2024011397 A1 US 2024011397A1
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- skin
- spar
- airfoil
- bottom skin
- trailing edge
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- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 28
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 10
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 claims description 3
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- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 3
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- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000003381 stabilizer Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910000639 Spring steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000012080 ambient air Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002828 fuel tank Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007769 metal material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007935 neutral effect Effects 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64C3/00—Wings
- B64C3/38—Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof
- B64C3/44—Varying camber
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
- F01D5/00—Blades; Blade-carrying members; Heating, heat-insulating, cooling or antivibration means on the blades or the members
- F01D5/12—Blades
- F01D5/14—Form or construction
- F01D5/147—Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64C3/00—Wings
- B64C3/18—Spars; Ribs; Stringers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64C3/00—Wings
- B64C3/18—Spars; Ribs; Stringers
- B64C3/182—Stringers, longerons
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64C3/00—Wings
- B64C3/26—Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64C3/00—Wings
- B64C3/38—Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64C3/00—Wings
- B64C3/38—Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof
- B64C3/44—Varying camber
- B64C3/48—Varying camber by relatively-movable parts of wing structures
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64C3/00—Wings
- B64C3/38—Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof
- B64C3/52—Warping
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05D—INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F05D2240/00—Components
- F05D2240/20—Rotors
- F05D2240/30—Characteristics of rotor blades, i.e. of any element transforming dynamic fluid energy to or from rotational energy and being attached to a rotor
- F05D2240/304—Characteristics of rotor blades, i.e. of any element transforming dynamic fluid energy to or from rotational energy and being attached to a rotor related to the trailing edge of a rotor blade
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T50/00—Aeronautics or air transport
- Y02T50/10—Drag reduction
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
Abstract
Aircraft control surface includes a span-wise extending spar having at least one aperture. A displacement guide is adjacent to the aperture. A span-wise extending airfoil is mounted to the spar and extends chord-wise between leading and trailing edges. A resiliently deformable airfoil top skin is mounted to the spar via a leaf spring. The top skin is bendable relative to the spar and extends chord-wise from the spar to a top skin rear edge. A resiliently deformable airfoil bottom skin is disposed beneath the top skin. Part of the bottom skin is displaceable chord-wise through the aperture and is guidable therethrough by the displacement guide. The bottom skin extends chord-wise from the spar to a bottom skin rear edge joined to the top skin rear edge to form the airfoil trailing edge. An actuator is connected to and configured to displace the bottom skin chord-wise to displace the trailing edge.
Description
- This application claims priority on Provisional U.S. Application No. 63/367,847 filed Jul. 7, 2022, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein.
- The disclosure relates generally to aircraft wings.
- Aircrafts are typically designed to have optimal aerodynamic characteristics at a single point in their flight envelope. For example, wing tip devices are typically used to improve aerodynamic performance at cruise and take-off. However, the altitude and the fuel loading change continuously throughout the flight, and the aircraft may often have to fly at non-optimal flight conditions. The aircraft may also operate at Mach numbers that can be significantly different from the ones used as the design condition. The resulting sub-optimal performance may affect the fuel efficiency of the aircraft.
- In one aspect, there is provided an aircraft control surface, comprising: a spar extending in a span-wise direction, the spar having at least one aperture extending through the spar; a displacement guide adjacent to the at least one aperture of the spar; an airfoil mounted to the spar and extending in the span-wise direction, the airfoil extending in a chord-wise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the airfoil comprising: a top skin being resiliently deformable and mounted to the spar via a leaf spring, the top skin being bendable relative to the spar, the top skin extending from the spar in the chord-wise direction to a top skin rear edge; a bottom skin being resiliently deformable and disposed beneath the top skin, part of the bottom skin being displaceable in the chord-wise direction through the at least one aperture of the spar and configured to be guided through the at least one aperture by the displacement guide, the bottom skin extending in the chord-wise direction from the spar to a bottom skin rear edge, the bottom skin rear edge joined to the top skin rear edge to form the trailing edge of the airfoil; and an actuator connected to the bottom skin and configured to displace the bottom skin in the chord-wise direction, displacement of the bottom skin causing the trailing edge to displace up or down.
- In another aspect, there is provided a winglet for an aircraft, the winglet coupled to a main wing section of an aircraft wing, the winglet comprising: a main winglet section extending between a root portion and a distal portion, the main winglet section having a forward spar and an aft spar extending through an internal cavity of the main winglet section along a span thereof, the forward and aft spars being spaced apart in a chord-wise direction at the distal portion of the main winglet section, the aft spar having at least one aperture extending through the aft spar; a displacement guide adjacent to the at least one aperture of the aft spar; an airfoil mounted to the aft spar and extending in a span-wise direction, the airfoil extending in a chord-wise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the airfoil comprising: a top skin being resiliently deformable and mounted to the aft spar via a leaf spring, the top skin being bendable relative to the aft spar, the top skin extending from the aft spar in the chord-wise direction to a top skin rear edge; a bottom skin being resiliently deformable and disposed beneath the top skin, part of the bottom skin being displaceable in the chord-wise direction through the at least one aperture of the aft spar and configured to be guided through the at least one aperture by the displacement guide, the bottom skin extending in the chord-wise direction from the aft spar to a bottom skin rear edge, the bottom skin rear edge joined to the top skin rear edge to form the trailing edge of the airfoil; and an actuator connected to the bottom skin and configured to displace the bottom skin in the chord-wise direction, displacement of the bottom skin causing the trailing edge to displace up or down.
- Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which:
-
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an aircraft; -
FIG. 1B is a top view of a wing of the aircraft ofFIG. 1A , showing internal components of the wing; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective, partial cutaway view of an airfoil for the aircraft ofFIG. 1A ; -
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an airfoil for the aircraft ofFIG. 1A ; -
FIG. 4 is a partial cutaway view of an airfoil for the aircraft ofFIG. 1A ; and -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bottom skin for the airfoil ofFIG. 4 . - Referring to the drawings and more particularly to
FIG. 1A , an aircraft is shown at 1, and is generally described to illustrate some components for reference purposes in the present disclosure. The aircraft 1 has a fuselage 2 having a fore end and an aft end, with a cabin generally located between the cockpit and the tail assembly. A tail assembly comprises a vertical stabilizer 3 with a rudder, andhorizontal stabilizers 4 with elevators. The tail assembly has a fuselage-mounted tail, but other configurations may also be used for the aircraft 1, such as cruciform, T-tail, etc. Wings 10 project laterally from the fuselage 2. The aircraft 1 hasengines 6 supported by thewings 10 in the depicted embodiment, although for other aircraft they can be mounted to the fuselage 2. The aircraft 1 is shown as a jet-engine aircraft, but may also be a propeller aircraft. It is also understood that the aircraft 1 can be a business aircraft, alternately it can be any other type of aircraft, manned or unmanned, including, but not limited to, a commercial aircraft or a military aircraft. -
FIG. 1B shows one of thewings 10 of the aircraft 1. Thewing 10 has amain wing section 11 which forms the corpus of thewing 10 and provides structure thereto. Themain wing section 11 makes up the bulk of thewing 10, and is responsible for almost all of the lift produced by thewing 10. Themain wing section 11 has a span S, which forms part of the wing span of the aircraft 1 in the depicted embodiment. The span S is defined between aroot portion 15A of themain wing section 11 and a tip ordistal portion 15B of themain wing section 11. Theroot portion 15A is the portion of thewing 10 closest to the fuselage 2. Thedistal portion 15B is the portion of themain wing section 11 located furthest from the fuselage 2. In an embodiment, thedistal portion 15B is defined between a 50% position and a 100% position along the span S of the correspondingmain wing section 11. In an embodiment, thedistal portion 15B is defined between a 80% position and a 100% position along the span S of themain wing section 11. - Still referring to
FIG. 1B , themain wing section 11 has aninternal frame 12. Theinternal frame 12 includes any suitable interconnection of components to provide structure to themain wing section 11 so that it can support the loads acting on thewing 10 during flight of the aircraft 1. In the depicted embodiment, theinternal frame 12 includes any suitable arrangement of spars, ribs, stringers, and other members. As shown inFIG. 1B , theinternal frame 12 includes a front orforward spar 14A and a rear oraft spar 14B, which are interconnected by multipletransverse ribs 14C. - The
main wing section 11 also includes askin 18 which covers theinternal frame 12 and provides an aerodynamic outer surface which in the depicted embodiment, helps thewing 10 to generate lift. A cross-section of theskin 18 taken in a plane transverse to the span S shows the profile of the airfoil defined by themain wing section 11 at that location along the span S. A leadingedge portion 18A of theskin 18 covers theforward spar 14A, and atrailing edge portion 18B of theskin 18 covers theaft spar 14B. Thewing 10 has a first orupper skin portion 18C defining an uppermost outer surface of theskin 18 and a second or lower skin portion 18D defining a lowermost outer surface of theskin 18. Theskin 18 is any suitable metal or composite material, and is closed on itself such that it defines aninternal cavity 19 of thewing 10 and a housing for theinternal frame 12. Thewing 10 may include multiple flight control surfaces (e.g. flaps, spoilers, ailerons, etc.) which may, for instance, alter or improve the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft. InFIG. 1B , themain wing section 11 includes anaileron 17 at thedistal portion 15B of themain wing section 11, where theaileron 17 defines part of thetrailing edge portion 18B of themain wing section 11. - Still referring to
FIG. 1B , at thedistal portion 15B of themain wing section 11, the forward andaft spars dry segment 16A of theinternal cavity 19 of thewing 10. Theinternal cavity 19 is divided intodry segments 16A andwet segments 16B. Thedry segments 16A are volumes of theinternal cavity 19 which include components that contribute to the functioning of thewing 10, such as wiring, linkages, piping, etc. In contrast to thedry segments 16A, thewet segments 16B are volumes of theinternal cavity 19 in which fuel accumulates. Thewet segments 16B are enclosed volumes which form fuel tanks, and are typically positioned on themain wing section 11 closer to theroot portion 15A to avoid large moments acting on thewing 10. - The
dry segment 16A of theinternal cavity 19 at thedistal portion 15B of themain wing section 11 is a volume that is delimited vertically by the upper andlower skin portions 18C, 18D, and is delimited in the chord-wise direction by the forward andaft spars dry segment 16A in the depicted embodiment is positioned between the 50% position and the 100% position along the span S of themain wing section 11. In an embodiment, thedry segment 16A is positioned between the 80% position and the 100% position along the span S of themain wing section 11. InFIG. 1B , thedry segment 16A delimited by the forward andaft spars leading edge portion 18A of themain wing section 11 and theaileron 17 at thedistal portion 15B of themain wing section 11. - In
FIG. 1B , the volume of thedry segment 16A at thedistal portion 15B of themain wing section 11 is less than the volume of other dry andwet segments root portion 15A. InFIG. 1B , the volume of thedry segment 16A at thedistal portion 15B of themain wing section 11 is smaller than the volume of all other dry andwet segments main wing section 11. Thedry segment 16A at thedistal portion 15B of themain wing section 11 is the closest of all the dry andwet segments main wing section 11 to the tip of thewing 10. It will therefore be appreciated that thedry segment 16A of theinternal cavity 19 at thedistal portion 15B of themain wing section 11 is a relatively small and constrained internal volume of themain wing section 11. -
FIGS. 1A and 1B also show awinglet 20 of thewing 10 that may be fixedly or moveably attached to themain wing section 11.Winglet 20 may include a main winglet section with aninternal frame 12 similar to that of themain wing section 11, i.e., that includes a front orforward spar 14A and a rear oraft spar 14B, which are interconnected by multipletransverse ribs 14C.Winglet 20 may similarly extend in a span-wise direction between a winglet root and a winglet tip and have a similar outer skin surface. - Referring to
FIGS. 2-5 , anairfoil 30 for aircraft 1 is shown.Airfoil 30 may, for instance, act as a control surface for the aircraft 1 (or as a portion thereof), for instance at the trailing edge of themain wing section 11 or thewinglet 20. Other positions forairfoil 30 may be contemplated. In an exemplary embodiment, theairfoil 30 is joined to thewinglet 20 at theaft spar 14B to act as the trailing edge of thewinglet 20. In some cases, an aircraft control surface may include theairfoil 30 and adjacent components of the wingmain section 11 orwinglet 20 to which theairfoil 30 is mounted. - The
airfoil 30 extends in a span-wise direction from anairfoil root 31 to anairfoil tip 32, and in a chord-wise direction between anairfoil leading edge 33 and anairfoil trailing edge 34.Airfoil 30 is mounted at its leadingedge 33 to a spar extending in a span-wise direction through the component of the aircraft 1 to which theairfoil 30 is mounted, for instance anaft spar 14B of themain wing section 11 or of thewinglet 20. The trailingedge 34 may be a tapered trailing edge 34 (i.e., its chord-wise length lessens fromroot 31 to tip 32). In such cases, the trailingedge 34 may not be parallel to theaft spar 14B. - The
airfoil 30 includes atop skin 35 and abottom skin 36 that define an airfoilinternal cavity 37. Thetop skin 35, also referred to as an upper skin, extends from theaft spar 14B to a top skinrear edge 38, while thebottom skin 35, also referred to as a lower skin, extends from theaft spar 14B to a bottom skinrear edge 39. In this context, ‘rear’ refers to a downstream direction of fluids traveling along theairfoil 30. The top skinrear edge 38 joins the bottom skinrear edge 39 to form theairfoil trailing edge 34. In some cases, the airfoilinternal cavity 37 is substantially hollow. In other cases, the airfoilinternal cavity 37 is solid at theairfoil trailing edge 34. This solid trailingedge 40 may occupy, for instance, approximately 5% of a chord length of the airfoil. As will be discussed in further detail below, thetop skin 35 andbottom skin 36 are resiliently deformable and thebottom skin 36 is displaceable in and out of theaft spar 14B in the chord-wise direction, thereby allowing theairfoil 30, and more particularly theairfoil trailing edge 34, to displace upwardly (when thebottom skin 36 displaces out of theaft spar 14B) and downwardly (when thebottom skin 36 displaces into theaft spar 14B). - The
top skin 35 is fixedly mounted to theaft spar 14B at theairfoil leading edge 33 via one or more flexible mounts,illustratively leaf springs 41, which allow thetop skin 35 to be resiliently deformable while maintaining the surface continuity on the top surface of theairfoil 30. The lead springs 41 may additionally relieve stress in theairfoil 30 by acting as a compliant joint between thetop skin 35 and theaft spar 14B. By resiliently deformable, it is understood that thetop skin 35 is bendable or pivotable relative to theaft spar 14B in an upward and downward direction, while also being compliant with any applicant standards for theairfoil 30 and load bearing requirements. The leaf springs 41 may take the form of slender, arc-shape lengths of spring steel (or other suitable material) of rectangular or other cross-sectional shapes. Other types of springs to mount thetop skin 35 to theaft spar 14B in a similarly flexible manner may be contemplated. Other numbers ofleaf springs 41 may be contemplated, for instance based on the span-wise length of theairfoil 30. - The
bottom skin 36 is disposed beneath thetop skin 35 and is similarly resiliently deformable. At least a portion of thebottom skin 36 is displaceable in the chord-wise direction in and out of theaft spar 14B to either extend or shorten an effective length of thelower skin 36. The effective length of thebottom skin 36 may refer to a portion of thebottom skin 36 that is exposed to the ambient air, i.e., that is not contained within theaft spar 14B. The change of length of thebottom skin 36 causes the trailingedge 34 to displace upward or downward. In other words, the trailingedge 34 may be referred to as being flexible. - In the shown embodiment, the
aft spar 14B has one ormore apertures 42 through which portions of thebottom skin 36 displace. For instance, thebottom skin 36 may include one or more fingers 43 (or other like members) displaceable in and out of the one ormore apertures 42, the number offingers 43 corresponding with the number ofapertures 42. In the shown case, threefingers 43 are displaceable in and out of threeapertures 42, although these numbers may vary, for instance based on a span-wise length of theairfoil 30 and/or an overall weight of theairfoil 30. A displacement guide, illustratively a plurality ofrollers 44 androller guideways 45, is provided adjacent theapertures 42 to guide the displacement of thefingers 43 in and out of theapertures 42. Thefingers 43 roll along therollers 44 and slide in and out of theapertures 42 via theroller guideways 45. In some cases, theroller guideways 45 may include stops to define outer limits or bounds for the displacement of thefingers 43. In the shown case, fourrollers 44 are provided, while the number of roller guideways 45 (three) corresponds with the number offingers 43 andapertures 42. Other numbers ofrollers 44 androller guideways 45 may be contemplated. Other types of displacement guides may be contemplated. In an embodiment, thefingers 43 are configured to displace in a direction perpendicularly to theaft spar 14B. In another embodiment, thefingers 43 may be configured to displace in a direction perpendicular to the tapered trailingedge 34. - In the shown case, an
actuator 46 is connected to thebottom skin 36 and is configured to displace (i.e., push and pull) thebottom skin 36 in the chord-wise direction to extend or retract thebottom skin 36 relative to theaft spar 14B, thereby causing theairfoil 30, and more particularly the trailingedge 34, to displace up and down. For instance, theactuator 46 may be connected to one or more of thefingers 43 to effect their displacement in and out of theapertures 42. In some cases, a plurality oflike actuators 46 may be provided, each connected to acorresponding finger 43. Theactuator 46 may be connected directly to the finger(s) 43, for instance via a rod or other like connecting member, or indirectly, for instance via gearing or other linkages or cables. In some cases, theactuator 46 may be a hydraulic actuator. Other actuator types may be contemplated. - As the leaf springs 41 (or other flexible mounts) allow the
top skin 35 to bend, and thebottom skin 36 displaces in and out of theaft spar 14B, neither thetop skin 35 nor thebottom skin 36 stretch, contract or otherwise deform. As such, thetop skin 35 andbottom skin 36 may be made from conventional skin materials such as sheet metals or composite sheets. In some embodiments, thetop skin 35 andbottom skin 36 of theairfoil 30 may be made from the same material as theskin 18 of themain wing section 11 and/orwinglet 20. Other materials for thetop skin 35 andbottom skin 36 may be contemplated. - As the
bottom skin 36 displaces in and out of theaft spar 14B, causing theairfoil 30 to bend upward or downward, a volume of the airfoilinternal cavity 37 may fluctuate as well. In cases where the trailingedge 34 includes asolid trailing edge 40, thesolid trailing edge 40 may maintain a constant shape as theairfoil 30 bends upward or downward. Displacement of the trailingedge 34 may, for instance, change the shape of the trailingedge 34. For instance, the chord length, camber and thickness of the trailingedge 34 may be controlled via said displacement. Various flight control requirements may dictate the displacement of the trailingedge 34. Actuation of theactuator 46 may be done manually, for instance by the pilot of the aircraft 1. Additionally or alternatively, the actuation process for theactuator 46 may be automated, for instance to displace the trailingedge 34 based on the flight stage and/or ambient conditions. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , theairfoil 30 is shown in a bent or deformed state. In particular, theairfoil 30 is shown with the trailingedge 34 bent in a downward direction, resulting from thebottom skin 36 being displaced by theactuator 46 into theaft spar 14B and thetop skin 35 extending theleaf springs 41, thereby lowering the trailingedge 34. This is in relation to a neutral orunbent airfoil 30′, also shown inFIG. 2 . Thebottom skin 36′ of unbentairfoil 30′ is at a position with reference to theaft spar 14B such that thetop skin 35′ is in an unbent state. Stated differently, thetop skin 35′ neither compresses nor extends the lead springs 41 while in its unbent state. In some cases, the unbentairfoil 30′ may extend in a substantially parallel direction as the component to which it is mounted, for instant themain wing section 11 or thewinglet 20. When theactuator 46 displaces thebottom skin 36 further outward of theaft spar 14B, thetop skin 35 compresses theleaf springs 41 and bends upwardly, with the trailingedge 34 positioned higher than the trailingedge 34′ in its unbent state. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , additional hardware may be provided to support and/or connect theairfoil 30 to theaft spar 14B. For instance, various supportingmembers 47 may be provided to support theairfoil 30. A leafspring connecting plate 48 may be provided to couple the lead springs 41 to theaft spar 14B. An additional connectingplate 49 may be provided for joining theinternal frame 12 to which theairfoil 30 is connected to another portion of theaircraft wing 10. - Referring to
FIG. 4 , in some cases, the airfoilinternal cavity 37 includes a plurality of airfoil supports 50 extending between thetop skin 35 and thebottom skin 36. In the shown case, the supports extend across a span-wise length of theairfoil 30 and are spaced apart from one another in a chord-wise direction between theairfoil leading edge 33 and theairfoil trailing edge 34, illustratively thesolid trailing edge 40. These supports 50 may provide additional stiffness to the airfoil. The number, spacing and stiffness ofsupports 50 may vary, for instance based on the weight of theairfoil 30. Other supporting means forairfoil 30 may be contemplated. Various combinations forinternal cavities 37 with hollow spaces,various supports 50 andsolid trailing edge 40 may be contemplated. - The embodiments described in this document provide non-limiting examples of possible implementations of the present technology. Upon review of the present disclosure, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present technology. Yet further modifications could be implemented by a person of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure, which modifications would be within the scope of the present technology.
Claims (18)
1. An aircraft control surface, comprising:
a spar extending in a span-wise direction, the spar having at least one aperture extending through the spar;
a displacement guide adjacent to the at least one aperture of the spar;
an airfoil mounted to the spar and extending in the span-wise direction, the airfoil extending in a chord-wise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the airfoil comprising:
a top skin being resiliently deformable and mounted to the spar via a leaf spring, the top skin being bendable relative to the spar, the top skin extending from the spar in the chord-wise direction to a top skin rear edge;
a bottom skin being resiliently deformable and disposed beneath the top skin, part of the bottom skin being displaceable in the chord-wise direction through the at least one aperture of the spar and configured to be guided through the at least one aperture by the displacement guide, the bottom skin extending in the chord-wise direction from the spar to a bottom skin rear edge, the bottom skin rear edge joined to the top skin rear edge to form the trailing edge of the airfoil; and
an actuator connected to the bottom skin and configured to displace the bottom skin in the chord-wise direction, displacement of the bottom skin causing the trailing edge to displace up or down.
2. The aircraft control surface as defined in claim 1 , wherein the spar is an aft spar of an aircraft wing.
3. The aircraft control surface as defined in claim 2 , wherein the airfoil is mounted to a main wing section of the aircraft wing or to a winglet at a tip of the aircraft wing.
4. The aircraft control surface as defined in claim 1 , wherein the displacement guide includes at least one roller and at least one roller guideway configured for guiding the part of the bottom skin through the at least one aperture of the spar.
5. The aircraft control surface as defined in claim 1 , wherein the trailing edge is tapered relative to the leading edge.
6. The aircraft control surface as defined in claim 1 , wherein the top skin and the bottom skin define an internal cavity of the airfoil, the internal cavity configured to vary with the displacement of the bottom skin.
7. The aircraft control surface as defined in claim 6 , wherein the internal cavity includes a solid trailing edge portion at the trailing edge.
8. The aircraft control surface as defined in claim 7 , wherein the solid trailing edge portion occupies approximately 5% of a chord length of the airfoil.
9. The aircraft control surface as defined in claim 6 , wherein the interior cavity includes a plurality of airfoil supports extending between the top skin and the bottom skin.
10. The aircraft control surface as defined in claim 1 , wherein the actuator is directly connected to at least one finger protruding from the bottom skin at the leading edge and is configured to effect displacement of the finger through the at least one aperture.
11. A winglet for an aircraft, the winglet coupled to a main wing section of an aircraft wing, the winglet comprising:
a main winglet section extending between a root portion and a distal portion, the main winglet section having a forward spar and an aft spar extending through an internal cavity of the main winglet section along a span thereof, the forward and aft spars being spaced apart in a chord-wise direction at the distal portion of the main winglet section, the aft spar having at least one aperture extending through the aft spar;
a displacement guide adjacent to the at least one aperture of the aft spar;
an airfoil mounted to the aft spar and extending in a span-wise direction, the airfoil extending in a chord-wise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge, the airfoil comprising:
a top skin being resiliently deformable and mounted to the aft spar via a leaf spring, the top skin being bendable relative to the aft spar, the top skin extending from the aft spar in the chord-wise direction to a top skin rear edge;
a bottom skin being resiliently deformable and disposed beneath the top skin, part of the bottom skin being displaceable in the chord-wise direction through the at least one aperture of the aft spar and configured to be guided through the at least one aperture by the displacement guide, the bottom skin extending in the chord-wise direction from the aft spar to a bottom skin rear edge, the bottom skin rear edge joined to the top skin rear edge to form the trailing edge of the airfoil; and
an actuator connected to the bottom skin and configured to displace the bottom skin in the chord-wise direction, displacement of the bottom skin causing the trailing edge to displace up or down.
12. The winglet as defined in claim 11 , wherein the displacement guide includes at least one roller and at least one roller guideway configured for guiding the part of the bottom skin through the at least one aperture of the aft spar.
13. The winglet as defined in claim 11 , wherein the trailing edge is tapered relative to the leading edge.
14. The winglet as defined in claim 11 , wherein the top skin and the bottom skin define an internal cavity of the airfoil, the internal cavity configured to vary with the displacement of the bottom skin.
15. The winglet as defined in claim 14 , wherein the internal cavity includes a solid trailing edge portion at the trailing edge.
16. The winglet as defined in claim 15 , wherein the solid trailing edge portion occupies approximately 5% of a chord length of the airfoil.
17. The winglet as defined in claim 14 , wherein the interior cavity includes a plurality of airfoil supports extending between the top skin and the bottom skin.
18. The winglet as defined in claim 11 , wherein the actuator is directly connected to at least one finger protruding from the bottom skin at the leading edge and is configured to effect displacement of the at least one finger through the at least one aperture.
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US18/347,776 US20240011397A1 (en) | 2022-07-07 | 2023-07-06 | Airfoil with flexible trailing edge |
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US202263367847P | 2022-07-07 | 2022-07-07 | |
US18/347,776 US20240011397A1 (en) | 2022-07-07 | 2023-07-06 | Airfoil with flexible trailing edge |
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US (1) | US20240011397A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP4303121A1 (en) |
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US8534611B1 (en) * | 2009-07-17 | 2013-09-17 | The Boeing Company | Moveable leading edge device for a wing |
US11203409B2 (en) * | 2018-02-19 | 2021-12-21 | Charles J. Fenske | Geometric morphing wing with adaptive corrugated structure |
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- 2023-07-06 US US18/347,776 patent/US20240011397A1/en active Pending
- 2023-07-06 CN CN202310829628.1A patent/CN117360768A/en active Pending
- 2023-07-06 EP EP23183964.8A patent/EP4303121A1/en active Pending
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CN117360768A (en) | 2024-01-09 |
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